An Unprecedented Variable
by HowCanIsleepIfIDontHaveDreams
Summary: "I don't trust you." "You don't have many options here, either fall to your death or take my hand." He was right, she did not have much of a choice. She took a risk that could cost her the promise she had made to her sister when she reached for Cato's outstretched hand.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

A sense of doom surrounded the well decorated walls of the hallway that would lead him one step closer to his imminent death. He knew from the beginning that his job would one day lead to his demise, he just hadn't expected that it would come so soon. Two years, four months, three weeks, and five days was the amount of time that had transpired since he was offered the job as Head Gamemaker and Head of Security; an offer you don't refuse no matter who you are. He remembered the exact date because it was a moment that changed his life. He went from being a simple techie following the orders of the Head Gamemaker to the one calling the shots. One does not forget days with such significance.

To be a Gamemaker you have to be extraordinarily creative, ruthless, and have a quick mind for problem solving. There are traits he had that showed he had great promise from early on in his career. These trademarks were essential for a person to possess as Head of Security. It made sense that the creative mind behind the Hunger Games would also be the head of the nation's security and that is why he found himself in this position. He should be honored to hold such an important and coveted position, instead all Seneca Crane could feel was dread.

Crane had orchestrated two splendid editions of the Hunger Games that were praised, admired, and were all the audience (mostly those in district one and two) could talk about. He was a success when it came to the Games, but he was a failure when it came to ensuring the security of Panem and now he would surely pay for his ineptitude.

It was only appropriate that the destination that he had been heading toward ended with a blood red door that once he stepped through would reveal his future. He poised his hand to knock, but he hesitated for a moment before he did. Crane took a breath to calm himself and knocked. Two guards greeted him with a cold detached manner that was common among Panem's security guards.

"Identification," the guard replied in a monotonous tone. It did not matter that both guards knew perfectly well who he was. It was their job to protect the President and no one, even a person in a high position as himself, was exempt from the security measures imposed on anyone who wished to see President Snow.

He turned to the second guard who held the retina scanner. Once the scanner confirmed his identity the guards led him to a second door, this one was white.

"Crane, do you have an update on the situation?" Snow cut straight to the heart of the matter, he was not a man who enjoyed pleasantries. The president's back was turned toward him. He was looking out the window that faced his rose gardens.

Crane cleared his throat, "There has been another security breach." The president turned sharply to face him with an expression full of cold anger that made Crane flinch, "This time they targeted the weapons production factories."

"They dared to come so close to the Capitol? These…traitors are getting bolder and I don't like it!" Snow's cold anger turned into a cold calculating expression. This expression was worse as it meant he was ready to condemn. This time the recipient of the judgment to come would be Crane. Snow will easily condemn those who wrong him if their proposal for a solution does not satisfy him.

"I have been working to tighten security, just last week I had sent out three dozen guards to District 4, who has recently been one of the most unruly districts. I…"

"I do not care how much you have tightened security if they are failing to stop these traitors. I want results not excuses." He walked closer to Seneca, "Give me results or I will find someone who can."

"President I do have a proposition that I believe could stop these traitor's actions." Crane informed him hesitantly this proposition was his attempt to keep his job and his life.

"Go on," the president gestured to him to keep going.

"I have noticed that the four districts that have been causing a lot of trouble have one thing in common; they are all districts that have not had a victor in many years. Perhaps these actions of rebellion are brought about by their desperation of having two of their own die year after year." Crane knew very well what losing someone could do to a person.

These breaches in security were minor and unrelated and as far as he could tell, these districts were not working together. How could they, the nation's security was at its best performance all thanks to his innovations in security strategies. The targets that the traitors hit did not connect in any evident way. He had made sure to look for any connections or any possible motivation for attacking the facilities that they targeted. The first assault had been in District 4 where a fishing boat had been robbed. Then a train from District Six had been derailed without authorization. Soon after, a shipment of agricultural goods from District 11 that was headed to the Capitol was incomplete. There was also the incident in District 12 where two people were caught trying to escape into the wilderness. He really had to do something about that electric fence. There were no connections between these events, they all happened in different districts at different times and they had been kept secret from the public. The only thing that he had recently noticed was that these districts, four, eleven, twelve, and six were districts that had not had a victor in a long time and for some it had been longer than the others.

"If we were to give each of these districts a victor it would placate their desire to lash out. They will be too busy celebrating their victors. We can make it a spectacle that they won't stop talking about for years. A spectacle is what the people crave."

"This is the 75th Hunger Games, the Quarter Quell, we _can_ change the rules. This is an opportunity to give each of these troublesome districts what they want, a victor," Crane said.

"Four victors that will bend to my will," Snow smiled.


	2. Chapter 1

AN: This chapter begins a few days into the games. I really hope people enjoy this story and reviews are loved.

**Chapter 1**

**Part 1: The Arena**

Every muscle in her body ached from the long hours of immobility. Earlier that day the Careers had discovered her location while she had been surveying her surroundings from on top of a tree. Ruthless killers are what the careers had been trained to become. She had heard them coming and became very still. Her assumption had been that they would walk right by her without noticing that she was above them. Katniss would have accomplished this if it hadn't been for Peeta.

The worst part of being cornered wasn't the aching muscles, but the sting of betrayal that burned in her chest at seeing Peeta, the guy that had confessed his love for her on national Television, with the careers. She had been so careful to be as still and quite as she could, but once she saw Peeta with them the shock had caused her to lose her footing for an instant. She had regained her balance quickly, but it had been too late, Peeta had looked up.

"Katniss," he called out surprised.

Immediately, every career turned their attention to Peeta. Cato was the first to notice the direction that his gaze was fixated on. Cato's eyes followed Peeta's and landed on her, his gaze was cold and unreadable. It had been obvious to her that he was their leader and they would listen to whatever he decided to do with their discovery of her location. Nothing in his eyes gave her any indication of what he would do next. He was a career, she had assumed that his first instinct would be to take the opportunity that she had provided them, with her carelessness and kill her. Instead Cato did something peculiar.

Though, Cato had not immediately resorted to violence his career lackeys had quickly aimed their weapons at her.

"Let me have her Cato, I know you said you wanted the hono…" Cato cut off Cloves remarks with a command to Glimmer, "use your arrows to bring her down, make sure to aim for the heart"

"Cato you can't be serious!" Clove exclaimed anger seeping out of her every pore.

"She can hardly use that thing. You've seen her use it, I on the other hand _never_ miss my mark" she emphasized her words by gracefully throwing a knife that she aimed at the tree Katniss was on. She had seen Cloves prowess at knife throwing in the training sessions before the games, she never missed her mark. It was clear that she had many years of experience that only those in the career districts could possess. On the other hand, she had never seen Glimmer training with an arrow.

"We all know how talented you are, but all of your targets are always at ground level" he had been irritated at being questioned, "Now tell me how you are planning on throwing that knife of yours all the way up there?" She huffed in anger and walked away from the careers.

"If you want me dead Cato maybe you should do it yourself" she called out in anger at the way that the Careers could discuss her death so candidly while she was up there afraid that this might be her last day. If there was one thing Katniss hate it was the feeling of being helpless. She was not about to die without putting up a fight she looked for a way out of her situation. There weren't many options. Fighting her way out was out of the question since there were eight of them and she could not jump to from tree to tree because every tree nearby were not at a jumping distance from the tree that she currently occupied. She was stuck, she had no weapons, and she was surrounded by trained killers

Cato turned to Glimmer expectantly and she took her bow and aimed. Her only option was to avoid the arrows and hope that she had terrible aim. When she saw Glimmers stance she knew that Clover was right Glimmer was no archer.

Katniss first assumption was proven right when Glimmers arrow missed its mark by a significant distance. Her second and third try did not improve. Glimmers frustration seemed comical to her, she could not believe that she had been afraid of being murdered by her. She smirked at Glimmer which only inflamed her anger. Glimmers frustration only served to worsen her aim.

Glimmer took aim once more, but before she released the arrow Cato stepped in front of her. He took the bow and arrow forcefully from her hands "That's enough." He turned took up a firing stance, Katniss noted that his stance was not half bad it was evident that to her that he had experience with a bow. He aimed and her smirk faded from her face. She was sure she would be dead soon. Again Cato surprised her. His arrow graced her ear and flew past her leaving her alive with only a minor injury to her ear. Katniss brought her hand up to inspect the damage.

"Maybe we should wait until she comes down. She can't stay up there forever" Cato put down the bow, turned to Peeta the one who had made the suggestion and the other careers and said "he's right we will have to wait her out, let's set up camp, Marvel you're on first watch" his orders were followed without question. Clove did not seem happy with this decision, but she didn't speak out.

She didn't understand why he gave up so easily when he had been inches from putting an arrow through her skull. That had occurred hours ago when the sun had still been out. Every few hours the careers would switch who was watching her. Currently it was Cloves turn to keep an eye on her. Katniss saw the hatred filled glares that she gave her every time she looked down at her captives. Clove was not happy that she wasn't dead yet and Katniss was not planning on making her happy any time soon. She had to find a way to get out of this situation.

Clove was relieved from watching her around midnight by Cato. Katniss watched their interaction from her vantage point.

"I'll take it from here." Clove got up from her post and aggressively walked past Cato in the process she bumped his shoulder.

She turned back and said, "I don't know who you think you are, but I do know that you are not the leader of my career group, I'm the only one who gives them orders. Got that?"

"Glimmer had the bow and arrows I was just asking for some assistance and last I checked we formed an alliance," Cato retorted.

"Yes, we have an alliance. However, it doesn't mean that you can give my group orders."

He smirked, "you've always craved power, and I'm not surprised you became a career pack leader."

"And what a pack I lead. It can't even be considered a true career pack anymore. I had to replace two from my original group with who else, but lover boy and a hardly useful boy from district 6" She moaned with frustration.

"Don't despair. You know you got a good deal when I traded you Glimmer for Peeta." Katniss was surprised by this.

"Glimmer can't even use a bow at least Peeta has strength," she told him.

"She is exceptional at hand to hand combat. She has the speed that makes up for strength."

"Know your team. You did learn something from the academy," she teased.

Clove left after that and Cato made himself comfortable on the ground. He looked up at her and caught her staring.

Katniss stared at him intently she wanted to know why he had not finished her off when it had been clear that he was able to. He was not bad with a bow and with a few more tries he would have hit his target she was sure of it. Cato had shown his prowess with a sword, but maybe he had hidden his archery skills to use as a secret weapon. In the games it was best to keep your opponents in the dark. That is how some winners had achieved victory in past Games. Careers for the most part did not miss the opportunity to showcase their skills. They never needed to surprise their victims they usually could win because they made alliances with other careers. Those that were not from district one, two, and three did not have the luxury of relying on years of training. That's why it did not make sense that he was a decent archer.

"Why didn't you kill me?" She inquired from him hoping to quench her curiosity. The careers wanted her dead, but maybe Cato had something more sinister in mind.

"I tried," was his brisk response. He looked away and started to sharpen his sword.

"Your archery skills aren't bad, I'm an archer myself I know a good aiming stance when I see one," she said.

"You are giving me too much credit I'm not very good with bows. My weapon is the sword," he said lifting up his sword as if it were proof that the sword was the only weapon he had mastered.

He went back to the task of sharpening his sword. She took the opportunity to study him while he was not looking at her. He had blond hair that reminded her of Peeta's, but his was different from Peeta's. Cato's was a pale blond and Peeta's was golden and bright. It seemed that everything about Cato was cold.

Katniss turned her gaze to the sky. She had to find a way out of this she had promised her sister she would return home. Katniss could not break that promise. As she was thinking about her home she spotted her escape. A Tracker Jacker nest.


End file.
